Vacuum cleaner



O. HOLMHANSEN VACUUM CLEANER Filed Nov. 10, 1957 Inventor: Osm Lmd HoIm-Hansen Wa /Attorney March 17, 1942.

' Patented Mar. 17, 1942 VACUUM CLEANER OsmundHolm-Hansen, Stratford, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 10, 1937, Serial No. 173,738

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners of thetype having a, centrifugal separator for separating the dust from the air.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement for vacuum cleaners of this type, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the use of the cleaner; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the construction and operation of the separator.

Referring to the drawing, the cleaner has a dust receptacle I supported at the rear by means of wheels 2 carried in brackets 3 fixed to the outside of the dust receptacle and at the front by means of a, caster 4 swiveled in a bracket 5 also fixed to the dust receptacle. The bracket 5 has a skirt 6 which'surrounds the caster and serves as a fender.

Above the dust receptacle is a cylindrical casing 1 having its lower end telescoping within the dust receptacle and having an annular flange 8 on its outer walls carrying a gasket 9 which rests on the beaded upper edge of the receptacle. Depending within the casing I is a tubular member Ill of rubber, or other flexible material, having its upper end H hooked over the upper edge of the casing and clamped thereto by means of a cover l2 resting thereon which is clamped to the casing in a manner not shown. The cover is provided with openings l3 through which air is discharged from the cleaner and with a handle I4 by means of which the cleaner may be lifted. Suitable clamps l5 '(Fig. 3) are likewise provided for clamping the casing to the dust receptacle.

Within the lower end of the tubular member I II is a ring l6 having a flange ll seated on an inwardly extending flange l8 on the tubular member and having a flange l9 extending along the inside of the tubular member. The flanges l1 and 19 provide a seat for a motor-driven fan unit housed within a casing comprising a cup-shaped shell 20 closed at its lower end by an end plate 2|. The shell and plate have outwardly extending flanges 22 and 23 which are fixed together. A rubber ring 24 fits over these flanges and rests on the seat provided by the flanges l I and I3. The rubber ring 24 and the tubular member ID provide a resilient support for the motor-driven the fan be used as a blower.

fan unit preventing the transmission of vibrations therefrom. The support is inherently stablein that the unit is returned to the central posi-' tion by gravity when displaced therefrom. The plate 2| serves as the bottom wall of a housing for a centrifugal fan 25 which is flxed to the bushings 33 between the motor flange 30 and the under side of the flange 32 and between the upper side of the flange 32 and a washer 34. The bushings 33 provide a resilient mounting for the lower end of the motor. The upper end of the motor is resiliently centered within the casing part 20 by means of a rubber ring 35.

The-air is discharged from the fan around the upper edge of the motor flange 33, up around the outside of the motor and through openings 36 in the side walls of the shell 20. A large number of openings are provided so that little resistance is ofiered to the flow of air.

Under some circumstances, it is desirable that This is accomplished by means of a cylindrical slide valve 31 within the shell 20 having openings 38 which normally register with the openings 36. The valve is supported by means of a tube 39 projecting through a slot 40 in the shell. The tube 39 communicates with the interior of the shell. By grasping the tube 39, the valve 31 may be moved in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position in which the opening's 36 will be covered. The air will then be discharged through the tube 33. By attaching a flexible hose to the tube 39, the motor fan unit may be used as a blower for use with paint sprayers and the like.

When the motor-driven fan unit is used for a blower it may be removed from the vacuum cleaner casing and supported on legs 4| on the lower edge of the rubber ring 24. The legs support the fan inlet 28 above the supporting surface and the air flows to the fan inlet through the spaces between the legs.

Air is introduced into the casing l by means of tangentially directed coupling 42 fixed in the casing at the upper end to which is attached one end of a flexible hose 43. The other end of the flexible hose may be connected to the tubular handle 44 of a suction nozzle 46. Due to the tangential direction of the coupling 42 the air entering the casing is given a whirling motion, the air flowing generally spirally downwardly in the space between the casing and the tubular member ID. This space provides an unobstructed passage for the air in which the'air is given time to assume a rotational motion without excessive eddyin'g. To the lower end of the member I is fixed a cylindrical cup-shapedmember 46 having openings 41 in its side walls and having a central opening in its bottom wall which is covered by a filter 48. The members It and 46 together comprise a tubular member. The openings 41 are formed by striking tabs 49 inward fromthe side walls of the member 46, the tabs having an acute angle with the plane of the opening. The tabs extend in a direction opposite to the whirling motion of the air so that the air passing through the openings must turn through an angle of greater than 90. Dust or other heavy particles suspended in the air are not able to make this sudden change ofdirection, and, accordingly are thrown outward by centrifugal force as'shown by the arrow 49 in Fig. 4 and are separated from the air passing through the openings. The operation of the separator is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. 49 represents a filament of air with dust particles entrained therein having a relative velocity with respect to the separator member 46, as shown by the arrow 49. In ena sharp corner. In other words, the air entering the openings 41 is in effect rotated at high speed. Due to the high speed the centrifugal force acting on the particles of dirt in the air is sufficientwhirling-air, the air flowing through the filterhas relatively little dust in it.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner or the like, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, means for producing a whirling annulus of air within the easing, a discharge outlet from the casing including a hollow member extending into the center of the whirling air having openings in the side walls arranged so that the air entering the openings must turn a sharp corner and an opening at the lower end thereof, a filter covering the opening at the lower end, and means for resiliently supporting said hollow member in said casing.

2. In a vacuum cleaner or the like, a casing having an inlet for dust laden air, means for tering the openings 41' the filament of air turns ly great to overcome the forces tending to keep v the particles entrained in the air and the particles, accordingly, flow out in the general direc- "tion of the arrow 49. The operation is due to centrifugal force acting on the particles of dirt example, if the air and the separator member were rotating at the same speed there would be no relative velocity and dirt would accordingly not be separated from the air entering the openings 41. The air flowing through the openings 41 flows upward through a filter to the fan inlet opening 28. The filter rests on an inwardly extending flange 5| at the lower end of the ring IS. The filter removes any fine particles, such as pollen, which are not centrifugally separated from the air.

The lower end of the tubular member 46 is spaced above the bottom of the dust receptacle. In this space the air whirls with a high velocity and the particles of dust, being heavier than the air, are thrown to the outside. If no means were provided for trapping this dust the dust in the receptacle would continually be picked up and returned to the whirling air. To prevent this, a screen 52 which comprises a slotted metal plate is supported above the bottom of the dust receptacle. This provides a quiet zone beneath the screen in which dust can settle from the air. The dust, therefore, collects at the bottom of the receptacle, as shown at 53. Obviously, a plurality of vertically spaced screens may be used providing a series of quiet zones. Some of the air flows through the filter 48 to the fan unit. Since the filter 46 is located at the center of the producing a whirling annulus of air within the casing, a discharge outlet from the casing including a hollow member extending through the center of the whirling air and having an opening at the lower end and openings in the side Walls thereof arranged so that the air entering the openings must turn a sharpcoruer, and a filter in the path of the air flowing through the opening at the lower end of said tubular member.

3. In a vacuum cleaner or the like, a casing, a cylindrical member of resilient material depending within the casing, an inlet at the upper end of the casing for directing air tangentially between said member and said casing, a tubular member supported at the lower end of said member of resilient material and having openings in the side walls and at the lower end thereof, said openings in the sidewalls being arranged so that the air entering the openings must turn a sharp corner, and a dust receptacle at the lower end of the casing.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a dust receptacle at the lower end, a motor driven fan above the dust receptacle, walls cooperating with the dust receptacle to provide a chamber below the fan and an inlet to the fan, an inlet to the chamber-for dust laden air, a hollow member in saidchamber for conducting air to the fan inlet having its lower end spaced above the bottom of the receptacle, an opening in the lower end of said member, a filter covering said opening, openings in the side walls of said member, and means for producing relative rotation between said openings and the air, said openings being arranged so that the air entering the openings must turn a sharp cornerwhereby dirt is separated from the air entering the openings.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a dust receptacle at the lower end, a motor driven fan above the dust receptacle, walls cooperating with the receptacle to provide a chamber below the fan and an inlet to the fan, an inlet to the chamber for dust laden air, means including a member spaced above the bottom of the receptacle having openings through which air flows to the fan inlet, said openings being arranged so that air entering the openings must turn a sharp corner whereby dirt is separated from the air entering the openings, and

baflle means between the separating member and the bottom of the receptacle for providing a quiet zone in which the dust settles.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a dust receptacle at the lower end, a motor driven fan above the dust receptacle, walls cooperating with the dust receptacle to provide a chamber below the fan and an inlet to the fan, an inlet to the chamber for dust laden air, means including a member spaced above the bottom of the receptacle having openings through which air flows to the fan inlet, said openings being arranged so that air entering the openings must turn a sharp corner whereby dirt is separated from the air entering the openings, and a foraminous screen between the bottom of the receptacle and the separating member providing a quiet zone in which the dust settles.

7. In a vacuum cleaner, a motor driven fan unit having walls surrounding the motor providing a space therebetween through which air flows from the fan, openings in said walls through which air is discharged, a coupling member communicating with the space around the motor, and a valve operable by said coupling member for closing said openings whereby the air is discharged through the coupling member.

8. In a vacuum cleaner, a motor driven fan unit having walls surrounding the motor and providing a space therebetween through which air flows from the fan, openings in said walls through-which the air is discharged, a slide valve on the inside of said walls having openings registering with said first openings, said valve being movable to a position closing said first openings, and a tube carried by said valve and communicating with the space around the motor for conducting air thereirom when said first openings are closed.

9. In a vacuum cleaner, a motor driven fan unit having cylindrical walls surrounding the m0- tor and providing a space therebetween through which air flows from the fan, openings in said walls through which the air is discharged, a cylinder on the inside of said walls having openings registering with said first openings, said cylinder being movable to a position closing said first openings, and a. tube carried by said cylinder and projecting through said cylindrical walls for conducting air from the fan when said first openings are closed.

OSMUND HOLM-HANSEN. 

